Gas measuring and indicating device



Sept. 29, 1931. J. a. TANbBERG GAS "EASURINGAND INDICATING DEVICE Filed June 20-, 1928 'lllll Patented Sept. 29, 1931 UNITED TA S OF IE;

JQHN GUDIBB-AND TANDBERG, or Ln vn, SWEDEE Assrenoli'ro AKTIE OILAGET cAitBA, v

F STQGKHQLM, SWEDEN, A GAS MEASURING AND M 7 Applicationdfiled June 20,1928, Serial lfo My invention relates to the art of measuring and indicating gases orgas contents or the like. The object of the invention is' to provide a reliable measuring and indicating apparatus particularly adaptable for certain kinds of work. i

More specifically my invention contemplates a method and apparatus tor indicating and measuring gas contents'and the like wherein gas is diffused through a porous member and absorbed. I The absorption material should be of constant absorption ca pacity and have no lag of absorption." Preterably a liquid is caused to flow continu; ously through a portion of the chamber into which the diffusion takes place. Also I preier to use aliquid column in an outlet for said chamber for maintaining a vacuum in the-chamber. The pressures of fluid before diffusion and after diffusion HIGlIHPOSQd on an indicating device which is thus responsive to variations in the difference of pressure. The invention will be described nore' in detail withreference' to the accompanying drawings showing one form of the invention. On thedrawings I N Fig. 1 shows the principal parts of the apparatusin cr'osssection; and

Fig. 2 is an end view of the apparatus of Reference character ldesignates a housing containing thechamber into which the gas diifuses. ,Reference'characterQ designates generally the indicator. Reference character 3 designates a source of absorption liquid orother' absorptive fluid. Beferencecharacter 4: designates the place of discharge of the absorption liquid enriched with absorbed gas. c 1 i The housing 1 shown in Fig. lis made'up of three plates, disks or sections 5, 6 and 7 which are tightly connected in any desired manner as by screws or bolts with interposed gaskets. Speaking of the parts as shown, the right hand disk 5 is formed with a circular depression 81 on the side which abuts the neighboring middle disk 6. A passageway 9 is formed across-the upper part of disk 5 and is separated from depres sion 8'by a porous member 10. Two relacoR-PoRA'rI'o v Ion swnnEN mnrcn'rme nnvron. I

286,819; and in Germany June 23,1927;

.tively small passageways 11 are cut from .the'outside of disk 5 to passageway 9. A conduitl? connects passagewayll with vessel 3 or other source. Conduit 13 and passageway 9 constitute a supply conduit for absorption liquid to within housing 11, in

which supply conduit the porous member 10 1s interposed as arestriction. Vessel 3 is provided witha'pipe 15open at top and bottonipassing through a stopper 14. The

other small passageway 12 is provided with a vent valve 16forven ting air from pas-I sageway 9. j I r V I.

The lower part of-disk 5 is'also made with a passageway orchamber 17 which may be of segmentshape as shown and which is separated from depression 8 by a porous m'ember 18. Two smaller passageways 19 and 17. Passageway 19 is connected to a con} duit: 21 which is filled with absorption liquid. Conduit21 is connected to discharge vessel 4:. Passageway is connected to ca vent valve 22'. Disk 5- hasa-passage 28 through lt'fOI' transmitting pressure to the indicating mechanism.

Disk -7 has a pro ecting portion 28 at the 20 are cut from the outside of disk 5.to'space Middle disk 6 is formed Wand depression y center in which is a central inlet passage 32 r for the gas tobe tested and around which is an a'nnular space 30 to which is connected a gas outlet 34. Chamber 29 is part of the passage for gas and communicates with space 30, inlet '32 andoutlet 34. A circular groove 31 inf'disk 7 serves as part of space 30; -A channel 36 in disk? connects passage or'space'29 with conduit 41 which isin turn connected to the indicator proper.

The indicator proper consists of closed vessel 38 connected at the top to conduit 41 and at the bottom to conduit 39. V The arrangement comprises a V-tube formed of the lower portion of conduit 39 and vessel 38 which is filled. wvith a; .suitablefiuid.

Pressure -in chamber A is imposed onuorie leg of the V-tube and the pressure in chamber or passage 2901 the other. Condu t is arranged 'in front of a graduated indicator panel 40. 'The-drop in pressure-ofgas passing through porous..member 27 can. thus be read off the indicator panel and variations in the drop oi --pr essure,anenndicated. Vessel 38 is preferably of suflicient horizontal cross-section so 'that the level of liquid in the; same .variesas' :littleza-s :possible and .so that zero/adjustments 'ioripanel can -easi-- ly zbeyma de. Obviously difierentkindseof indicators Jn aybe used. f .Absorptioniliquid 'does'notifill chamber It runs .down :on the wall thereofxwhich .is in disk :5. Conduitr21 is filled with 'liquid. By means :of the :liquid column therein a vacuum'is created :in'chaniber =17 zfi-t least :as high orEhigher than that present iii chamber A. This -vacuum:-in chamber 17 is created in order that all absorption liquid supplied to ichamber. A througl'i' porous -member, 10 is constantly :riemoved therefrom :and does not collect at the fbottom of this, chamber which would :disturb the pressure-conditions iprerailing therein. :In order ito facilitate and secure this: constant :removal of all absorption liquid from chamber A .aporoiis member :18 ref ,less 'estriction itlllfln member ;10 may :be selected. dVith jporous plugs of small porosity :and thickness, member 118 .would-ibe 10f larger area i'than member -10.

= course,-:they mayfbeof-the-samesizewith suitable difference of porosity.

Assuming combustion gases from .a' sfu'riiace to-be {analyzed on their percentage of carbon dioxide GQ V) itheop'eratioii of the apparatus 'will be as follows.

'Vessel :3 iis filled with hydrateof alkali, .for ,instance, a solutionbf caustic potash. 'Before starting the apparatus, chambers 9 and :17 ;must :be filled with liquid. This can .bcidone by lifting vessel 3.-so thatliquidcaii iloiv bywgravity into chamber 9-and thence ithrough gPOlTOllS :member '10 and chamber-A -to-:chamber 17 and ifiromzchainberrlif :through conduit 21 to vessels l. When chamber (9 is (filled, ivessel 13 may be placed -.as shown on :theidrawings. iDuring operation, liquid will be continuously :sucked lfIEOHl vessel .13 into chamber A. ,In chamber -A-.the1liquid flows :as a lilllll film along the surface of .depres- .sion 8 .and to .andithrough porous member :The gases to be analyzed are introduced into-theiapparatus through opening 32 and fillchamber 29. The gases derive-again 1 through conduit 3&. --.lhe air contained in by using a fluid of constant absorptive roachamber A now tends to diffuse through porous member 27 into chamber 29 and carbon dioxide tends to diffuse through porous member 27 from chamber 29 into chamber A. However, since carbon dioxide diffuses more slowly than air,-;a vacuuni is-quickly produced in chamber The amount of vacuum produced depends on the amount of carbon dioxide diffusing per unit of time through porous meniber27, and absorbed in the -'liquid of=constant absorption capacity flowing through chamber A. The vacuum isthus a measure of'the percentage of car- ,bon .dioxide present .in the gas flowing through chamber 29. The rate of diffusion of this-gas through member27 ,depeiidsupon thepartial pressureofthe carbon-dioxide in chamber-.29. The percentage of carbon dioxide in the gas can-thus-beimeasured on the scale-40.5 H

Valves 16 and 22 also serveas openings foracleaning theapparatus if it is used for measuring different; gases and different kinds ofabsoi ption liquids are used therefor.

It is preferable to use as little-absorption liquidnas p0ssible. WVith a slower flow the rate of -flow'can be morereadily controlled. Asabove pointed -out the absorptive rate should be constant. This is best obtained .pacity'in a uni-form fiowingstream.

Warious kinds of! diffusion substances may be .used such as; glass, so-called Jena Glass, graphite, carbon clay and compositions of variousrkinds. ater maybe used as anab- -sorption liquid. ,Th'e kind of absorption liquid will obviously depend on the gases being .tested. V I

.It willbe obvious that :various forms of structure may-be used in carrying out my invention.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for measuring gas content and :the like comprising a.housing,'-a chamber formed within said housing, said housing having a-passage forgas, a porousun'ember arranged between said passage and said chamber and means for flowing a continuous stream of absorption liquid through said chamber.

2. Apparatus for -nieasuring gas contentand the like comprising a housing,a cham- Lber formed within said :housing, said housing having a passage for gas, a porous memchambcr and means for continuouslymoving .absorptioninaterial having a given absorp- -ti0n capacity through :SZLld chamber to ma1ntainarconstant absorption *rate in 'said cham- 4125 ber-arranged betweensaid passage andisaid.

liquid, a supply conduit between said source and said chamber, a porous member in said supply conduit, an outlet conduit for conducting liquid from said chamber and a porous member in said outlet conduit, the porous member in the outlet conduit permitting greater flow of liquid therethrough than the.

porous member in the supply conduit.

5. Apparatus for measuring gas content and the like comprising a housing, a chamber formed within said housing, said housing having a passage for gas, a porous member arranged between saidpassage and said chamber, a source of supply of absorption liquid, a supply conduit between said source and said chamber, a porous member in said supply conduit, an outlet conduit for conducting liquid from said chamber, a porous member in said outlet conduit, the porous member in the outlet conduit permitting greater flow of liquid there through than the porous member in the supply conduit, an indicator and means connecting theindicator with the passage and the chamber, the indicator being responsive to the difference of pressure between said passage and said chamber.

6. Apparatus for measuring gas content and the like comprising a housing, a chamber formed within said housing, said housing having a passage for gas,'a porous member arranged between said passage and said chamber, said chamber having a wall confronting said porous member, and means for flowing a continuous film of absorption li uid over the surface of said wall.

7. Apparatus for measuring gas content and the like comprising a housing, a chamber formed within said housing, said housing having a passage for ber arranged between said passage and said chamber, and means for maintaining a vacuum in said chamber and flowing a continuous stream of absorption liquidthrough said chamber.

8. Apparatus for measuring gas content and the like comprising a housing, a chamber formed within said housing, said housing having a passage for ber arranged between said passage and sa1d chamber, a source of supply of absorption liquid, a supply conduit between said source and said chamber and an outlet conduit for gas, a porous memgas, a porous memconductingliquid .from1 said chamber, said. outlet conduit being arranged to'produce a vacuum in said chamber.

K9. Apparatus 'for measuring gas content and the like comprising a housing, a chamber formed within said housing, said housinghaving a passage for gas, a'porous member arranged between said passage and said chamber, a source of supply of absorption liquid, a supply conduit between said source and saidchamber, a restriction in said supply-conduit, an outlet conduit for conducting liquidfrom said chamber and restriction in said outlet conduit, said outlet conduit :be-

ing arranged to produce a vacuum in said chamber,

10. Apparatus for measuring gas content and the like. comprising a housing, a chamber formed within said housing, said housing having a passage for gas in communication with said chamber, a porous member arranged between said passage and said chamber, means for flowing a continuous stream of absorption liquid through said chambenan indicator and means connecting the indicator-with the passage and the chamber, the indicator being responsive to the difference of pressure betweensaid passage and said chamber. 7

11-; Apparatusfor measuring gas content and the like'eomprising a housing, a chamber formedwithin said housing, said housing having a passage for gas'in communication with said chamber, a porous memberarranged between said passage and said chamber, asource of supply of absorption liquid, a supply conduit between said source and said chamber, a restriction interposed insaid supply conduit, an outlet conduit for conductingliquid from said chamber, a restriction in said outlet conduit, an indicatorfland means connectingthe indicator -with the passage and the chamber, the indicator-being, responsive to the difference of pressure between said passage and; said chamber. 7

12. Apparatus for 1 easuring gas content and the like comprising a housing, a chainber formed within said housing, said housing having a passage for gas in communicationwith said chamber, a porous member arranged between said passage and said chamber, means for continuously moving absorption material having constant absorption capacity through said chamber, an indicator, and means connecting the indicator with the passage and the chamber, the indicator being responsive to the difference of pressure between said passage and said chamber.

13. The method of measuring the amount of a gas constituent in a gas mixture which comprises diffusing the gas constituent through a porous member into the presence of a continuously moving absorption agency and measuring variations in the difference of gas pressure on the opposite sides of'the porous member. v V i 14. The methodof measuring the amount of a gas'constituent in a gas mixture which 5 comprises difi'using the gas constituent through a porous member, continuously flowing absorption liquid into the presence of the diffused gas and measuring Variations I in the diflerence of gas pressure on the 0pioposite sides O'f'the porousmember. 15. The method of measuring'the carbon dioxide content of flue gases which comprises passing the flue gases to one side of w a porous member, passing absorption liquid capable of absorbing theoarbon dioxide but not other constituents of theflue gases past the other side of the porous member but spaced therefrom and measuring the difi'en M ence of pressure on the two sides of. th porous-member. 1

16. That improvementin the art of measuring the carbon dioxide content of flue gases by the aid of a device having a passage and a chamber separated by a porous member which consists in passing flue gases through said passage, passing-absorption liquid capable of absorbingcarbon dioxide but not other constituents of the flue gases through said chamber, and measuring the difi'erence between the pressures of gases in the passage and the chamber'caused by the diffusion through the porous member of carbon dioxide and-its absorption by the absorption liquid.

l7. That improvement in the art'of measuring the carbon dioxide content of flue gases by the aid of a device having closed' chambers separated by aporous member which consists in passing the flue gases through one of said chambers, passing a solution of caustic potash through the other of said chambers and measuring'the difference between the pressures of gases in the M chambers caused by the diffusion through the porous member of carbon dioxide and its absorption by the caustic potash solution.

In testimony whereof I have afi'ixed my signature .i i JOHN GUDBRAN D TANDBERG; 

